Last tastes of summer

I'm getting greedy.

As summer slips away and the weather gets colder (not "gets cold", since it didn't really get warm here this summer), I know that my days are limited. I don't have much more time for wonderful tomatoes, zucchini, sweet corn, strawberries, and blueberries at the market. Even my fresh basil will be harder to find soon. So I spend my time sighing and weeping and going to the market each week to buy as much summer produce as I can before it's all potatoes and apples and hearty cold weather food.

And then I come home and greedily eat blueberries by the handful and plot which dishes to use my prized, delicious sweet corn in. This one usually wins:

Sweet Corn and Salmon Risotto


I'm sucker for risotto.It's delicious. It's not all that hard, despite it's reputation. And it's open to so many variations. Sometimes I'll make it once a week, putting in whatever is in our kitchen. I've had a lot of good flavor combinations over time, but this one is one of my favorites that I just keep coming back to.

Sweet Corn and Salmon Risotto
* 6 cups chicken stock (I always want to use vegetable, but I never have it. You'd think I'd learn, but no)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 cup Arborio rice
* 1 cup white wine
* 8 ounce salmon filet, cut into small cubes
* Kernels from 1 ear of sweet corn (or more if you love corn the way I love corn)
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat stock in pan over high heat. Keep at simmer over medium heat.
2. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook, stirring, until translucent. Add rice; cook, stirring, until rice begins to sound like glass beads, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add wine to rice. Cook, stirring, until wine is absorbed. Using a ladle, add 3/4 cup of hot stock to rice. Using a wooden spoon, stir rice constantly, at medium speed. When rice has absorbed most but not all of the liquid and mixture is just thick enough to leave a clear wake behind the spoon when stirring, add another 3/4 cup stock.
4. Continue adding stock in this manner, stirring constantly, until rice is mostly translucent but still opaque and slightly crunchy in center. Add salmon and corn; continue stirring and adding stock until rice is still al dente but not crunchy and shrimp is cooked through, about 3 minutes. As rice nears doneness, watch carefully, and add smaller amounts of liquid. The mixture should be thick enough that grains of rice are suspended in liquid about the consistency of heavy cream. It will thicken slightly when removed from heat.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and parmesan cheese; season with salt and pepper. Spoon into bowls, and grate or shave Parmesan over risotto, if desired. Serve immediately.